Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

Dictionary online

þá

  • adverb
  • conjunction
Dictionary links
Grammar
þá, adv. conj.
Wright's OE grammar
§560;
Then, when. When the word stands at the beginning of a clause and may be translated by then, the verb generally precedes its subject; if it is to be translated by when the subject generally precedes the verb.
then, at that time
Show examples
  • Ic ofstikode hyne. Swíþe þrýste ðú wǽre þá (

    tunc

    ),
      Coll. Monast. Th. 22, 19.
  • Ðá wæs ðæt Agustinus gelaþode tó his sprǽce Brytta bisceopas

    interea Augustinus convocavit ad suum colloquium episcopos Brittonum provinciae,

      Bd. 2, 2; S. 502, 5.
  • Godes ðeówas ðá náne landáre hleótan ne móston,

      Homl. Th. ii. 224, 4.
  • On anginne ðissere worulde menn móston lybban be heora lustum ðá ... wé ne móton lybban be úrum lustum nú,

      Homl. Skt. i. 16, 233.
  • Hit mæg eów nú fremian swá micclum swá hit ðá mihte,

      Homl. Th. ii. 378, 12.
  • Se stán ðe ðæt wæter ðá of fleów, ii. 274, 1.
  • Hé on fulluhte underfangen næs, forðan ðe Martinus ðá on neáwiste næs,

      504, 24 : Homl. Skt. i. 6, 112.
  • On ðære tíde ðe Ehfrid and Ædelréd wunnon, ðá æt sumon gefeohte wearð án ðegen áfylled,

      Homl. Th. ii. 356, 24.
marking sequence,
then, after that, thereupon
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  • Ðá cwæð hé : 'Gá gé on mínne wíngeard.' And hig þá férdon,

      Mt. Kmbl. 20, 4.
  • Sum iungling com mid gyrde tó mé, and wearp hí ðá tó mé,

      Homl. Th. ii. 312, 17.
  • Se engel mé lǽdde ðá furðor ... Efne ðá æteówdon lígas ... Ic ðá beheóld ðone ormǽtan líg,

      350, 15-21 : 456, 24-26.
  • Eft ðá on ðære þriddan nihte middan hé gewát of ðisum lífe. Þá cómon eft englas and hine gelǽddon,

      336, 2-5.
  • Hwæt ðá com sum man,

      286, 19.
  • Hwæt ða hǽþenan þá hine bestódon,

      Homl. Skt. ii. 28, 104.
  • Þá se bisceop dyde up ðone sanct, i. 21, 139.
as adverbial connective,
of time,
when
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  • Þá hé út eode embe underntíde, hé geseah óðre ídele standan,

      Mt. Kmbl. 20, 3 : 3, 7.
  • Hwæt hé dyde, þá hine seó menego þreáde,

      Blickl. Homl. 19, 11, 31 : 5, 25.
of cause or reason,
when, since, as
Show examples
  • Hí héton hine secgan hweþer hé cristen wǽre, þá hé wilnode þyllíces,

      Homl. Skt. ii. 28, 106.
  • Hwá mæg áuht óþres cweþan bútan ðú wǽre se gesǽligesta, ðá ðú mé wǽre ǽr leóf þonne cúþ,

      Bt. 8; Fox 24, 26.
  • III a. where the form iss
marking time,
when
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  • Crist sylf gefæstnode his sprǽce, þá ðá hé spræc tó ánum Samaritaniscan wífe,

      Homl. Th. i. 482, 24.
  • Ðæt Drihten cwǽde tó Nichodéme, án ðæra ealdra, ðá ðá hé his láre sóhte, ii. 238,

      4, 9.
  • Ðá ðe (

    cum

    ) hé in áre wes,
      Ps. Surt. 48, 21 : 106, 6. (1 a)
    where the two forms are separated :-- Þá heó þá in tó ðære hire moddrian eode, sóna ðæt cild onsprang, Blickl. Homl. 165, 28.
marking cause or reason,
when, since, as
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  • Ðá cwæð his geféra, ðæt hé gefyrn smeáde hwǽr hí bigleofan biddan sceoldon, ðá ðá hí ða fare férdon búton wiste,

      Homl. Th. ii. 138, 33.
marking condition,
when, if
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  • Ðæt hit wǽre geðúht ðæs ðe máre gemynd ðæs fæder, ðá ðá se sunu, his yrfenuma, wæs gecíged ðæs fæder naman,

      Homl. Th. i. 478, l l.
in correlative combinations,
then ... when, when ... then
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  • Ðá se cyng ðæt hiérde, þá wende hé hine west,

      Chr. 894; Erl. 91, 9 : 90, 22-24.
  • Þá (

    then

    ) þú cýþdest ðæt þú neatest hwelces endes ǽlc angin wilnode, þá ðú wéndest ðæt steórleáse men wǽron gesǽlige,
      Bt. 5, 3; Fox 12, 34.
  • Þá þá (

    cum

    ) hé fæste feówurtig daga, þá ongan hyne syððan hingrian,
      Mt. Kmbl. 4, 2.
  • Ðá ðá hé ealdode, þá clypode hé his yldestan cniht him tó,

      Homl. Th. ii. 234, 22 : 286, 6 : 390, 19-22.
  • Þá hé ðá út faran wolde, þá hét hé beódan,

      Chr. 905; Erl. 98, 21 : 894; Erl. 90, 33.
  • Ðá se wísdóm ðá þis spell áreht hæfde, ðá ongan hé giddian,

      Bt. 19; Fox 68, 19.
  • Þá þe ... þá sóna,

      Blickl. Homl. 163, 15.
  • Þá geseah Abraham Drihtnes dæg, þá þá hé ðás gerýnu tócneów,

      Homl. Th. ii. 234, 22.
  • Se Frysa ðá, þá ðá hé hine gehæftan ne mihte, lét hine faran,

      358, 22. IV a. in
    n
  • Þǽr ðú cýþdest ðæt ðú nystest mid hwilcan gerece God wylt ðisse worulde, þá ðú sǽdest ðæt . . . ,

      Bt. 5, 3; Fox 14, 4.
  • ¶ See git, gita, gén, géna, nú for other instances of the word.
Etymology
[Chauc. Piers P. tho, thoo : O. Frs. thá : O. Sax. thó, thuo : O. H. Ger. dó : Icel. þá]
Full form

Word-wheel

  • þá, adv.; con.